The fourth edition of the Dubai Future Forum 2025 launches tomorrow, Tuesday, November 18, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation. The event, organized by the Dubai Future Foundation, will run over two days, November 18–19, at the iconic Museum of the Future.
Recognized as the world’s largest gathering of futurists and future designers, the Forum serves as a global platform to anticipate and discuss emerging opportunities and challenges. This year, the Forum hosts more than 2,500 experts and specialists, with over 200 speakers participating in more than 70 keynote and dialogue sessions. These discussions will be grouped into five major themes: Deep Future Insights, Exploring the Unknown, Future of Societies, Future of Health, and Future of Systems.
Specialized Forums
For the first time, the Forum includes a dedicated Specialist Forums Day held on November 17 and 20. Organized in collaboration with local, regional, and international partners, these sessions cover five vital topics: Foresight and International Security, Strategic Philanthropy, Smart Collections, Climate Response, and Future Media.
In the “Future Media” forum, Arab News hosted a roundtable that brought together leading newspaper editors, television executives, and media experts, alongside AI specialists, to explore how emerging technologies are reshaping journalism, advertising, communications, and content production in the Arab world. Participants emphasized the importance of equipping media professionals with future-ready skills and tools.
In parallel, sessions on Foresight and International Security—organized by the Fikr Foundation—discussed how foresight tools can enhance global dialogue and adaptability to geopolitical shifts. The Strategic Philanthropy forum, hosted by the Abdullah Al Ghurair Foundation, examined evolving models of charitable work in a rapidly changing world.
Sessions by tech firm XPANCEO delved into turning cutting-edge research into real-world innovations through smart technologies. Meanwhile, the Climate Response forum, led by the Dubai Program for Research, Development and Innovation, focused on strengthening urban and community resilience in the face of climate change.
Highlights from Day One
The opening day of the Forum features a keynote address from His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, followed by high-level sessions including:
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“Future Societies: How Do We Redefine Sustainable Communities?”
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“Are We Letting Down the Future with Today’s Decisions?”
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“A Journey into the Mind: Can We Engineer Human Consciousness?”
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“The Role of Education in Preparing the World for the Future”
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“How Can Industrial Sectors Drive the Future of the Economy?”
Other featured discussions include:
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“Can Scientific Alliances Reshape R&D?”
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“Preventive Medicine: Are We on the Verge of a Breakthrough?”
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“The Global Consumer in 2035: What Do Markets Reveal?”
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“Deep Sea Innovations: Are They Shaping the Future?”
100 Innovative Projects Showcased
Alongside the Forum, the Dubai Future Solutions – Innovations for Humanity exhibition kicked off today, November 18, at AREA 2071 in Emirates Towers. The exhibition features 100 of the most promising innovative projects, selected from thousands of entries submitted by students, recent graduates, and faculty from over 1,200 universities in 120 countries. Five standout innovators will be honored and supported to further develop and implement their ideas.
Dubai Foresight Awards
The Forum will also host the announcement of the winners of the inaugural Dubai Foresight Awards, launched last year under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed. These awards recognize exceptional achievements in foresight theory, the future of societies, and the future of the environment. Additionally, the Future Narratives Awards will celebrate writers whose work inspires future generations of thinkers and designers.
Partners and Supporters
Strategic partners of the Forum include Dubai Municipality, Emirates Global Aluminium, UNICEF, Emirates Flight Catering, XPANCEO, The Explorers Club, Fikr Foundation, Abdullah Al Ghurair Foundation, The Dream Collective, Cinema Akil, Aquafina, as well as renowned academic institutions such as Arizona State University, Higher Colleges of Technology, International Islamic University Malaysia, and Hanze University of Applied Sciences, among others.
For more details about the event and full agenda, visit the official website:
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